A Little Help From My Friends
by Isilarma
Summary: Salazar has never been very good at asking for help, but when an accident causes more damage than he realises, he finds he has little choice. Hints of Helga/Salazar. Part of the Tales of the Founders series.


**A Little Help From My Friends**

**This one is set after Hogwarts has been built and this is the first year that they have been teaching. It's a little more fluffy than some of my others, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.**

**The title is taken from the title of the Beatles' song 'With A Little Help From My Friends' which I do not own. What a surprise.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

It took all Salazar's considerable restraint to wait until the last of his students had departed before letting loose a stream of curses. Half of them were convinced that they already knew everything he could teach them, and the rest could barely stand a cauldron up the right way. Not for the first time, he regretted agreeing to open a magical school, but Godric had been so excited, and Rowena had Seen that it would work and he just couldn't refuse Helga anything when she looked at him like that. So here he was, teaching a bunch of children how to brew potions without killing themselves. It was not going well.

Deep down though, Salazar knew that his bad mood wasn't a result of his students' idiocy, or his fellow Founders. It was the blasted weather that was the problem. They had been forced to locate the school in the far north of the islands for safety, and while it was far from any Muggle settlements, the winters were bitterly cold. After spending years in warmer climates, it had not been a pleasant experience. Godric had adapted with his usual resilience, but Salazar had found it much more difficult. And he hated it.

He had learned to live with the inconvenience of having to use a staff to walk. He was used to having to be careful when navigating flights or uneven terrain, and the constant ache in the damaged muscles. But he could not abide the deep, bone-seated throbbing that heralded the arrival of cold weather. Every morning the pain was worse, and being on his feet all day did not help matters. It had gotten to the point where even Helga's touch provided only fleeting relief, and he was becoming increasingly reluctant to ask her. Even worse than the pain was the pity, and he received that from every student and teacher he met. So he hid it as much as he could, and refused to ask for help. He told himself he didn't need it.

He always was good at lying.

Salazar sighed and began to move towards the door. Helga would notice if he missed any more meals, and he had no intention of attracting any more attention than necessary. Godric been watching him more carefully recently too, Salazar almost regretted telling the cold bothered him, but at the time it had been the only way to keep his friend from pestering him. Unfortunately, Godric's concern had only increased from there. Salazar could tolerate pity from strangers, but he hated seeing it in his friends' eyes.

Lost in thought, Salazar missed his footing on the uneven dungeon floor. His leg and staff slid in opposite directions, sending the slender wizard crashing to the ground. He landed heavily on his bad leg, and even he couldn't suppress a yell of pain. He clenched his eyes shut as the sudden agony threatened to overwhelm him, both hands gripping the injured limb in an attempt to ease the pain. It didn't work. All he could do was wait.

It was several minutes before the pain subsided enough for him to try moving. To his dismay, he found that the cold from the dungeon floor combined with the impact had caused the damaged muscles to seize up, and the slightest movement was enough to bring tears to his eyes. Salazar gritted his teeth against another outburst; it would hardly do for his students to hear him screaming like a child. There was an obvious solution of course, but Salazar's pride made him loath to even consider it. He knew that his fellow Founders would be only too happy to help, but he was sick of being such a burden to them. They would be unbearable if they found out he was in such trouble. He let out a low groan and let his head fall back against the floor. He was so tired of all of this.

After a moment, he let out a long sigh. He couldn't lie on the floor all day, and since no one was coming, he was just going to have to manage by himself. Summoning all his willpower, he forced himself upright until he could prop himself up against the desk. His leg screamed a protest but he ignored it, though the effort left him pale and shaking. He allowed himself a moment to catch his breath before drawing his wand from his robes and silently Summoning a Pain Relieving Potion. He downed the bitter brew and pulled a face. The potion tasted revolting but he couldn't fault its effectiveness. Within a few minutes the pain had dulled to a more manageable level and Salazar was able to use the corner of the desk to pull himself to his feet. A quick gesture brought his staff flying to his hand. Wearily, he limped back across the classroom and sank into his chair, all thoughts of attending dinner forgotten. He magically locked the door and closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to drop the emotionless façade.

He was just tired. Tired of being the one who always needed help, tired of pity, tired of the constant pain. He wanted to scream with frustration, but that would show weakness, and he had had quite enough of that. So he nursed his hurt in silence and longed for a peace that he could not find.

How long he sat there, Salazar could not tell, but eventually his brooding was interrupted by a soft tap at the door.

"Salazar? Are you all right?"

Salazar glanced up at Helga's voice. Dimly he found that his leg was beginning to throb painfully, a sure sign that the potion was wearing off and realised that he must have stayed down far longer than he had thought. No wonder that Helga was concerned. He briefly contemplated asking her to leave him alone, but his friend was nothing if not persistent. Sighing, he released the lock.

"Come in."

Helga pushed the door open rather tentatively, but her wariness was forgotten as she took in her friend's condition. "Salazar!" She pushed the door shut and darted to his side. "What happened?"

Salazar grimaced. "I fell. Landed on the wrong leg."

Helga shook her head in dismay. "Why didn't you send for one of us?"

He winced as her fingers probed the stiff muscles. "I didn't want to bother you."

Helga looked up, and Salazar was surprised to see honest anger in her eyes. "What did you just say? Salazar, why would you think that you would be bothering us?"

Caught off guard, Salazar looked away, but Helga caught his chin and turned his head back. She didn't have to use her Healer talents to feel his pain.

"You're our friend. You're supposed to able to ask for help without thinking about it." She frowned suddenly. "Have we ever given you reason to think this way?"

Salazar opened his mouth to reply, but a sharp gasp of pain cut off his words as his muscles gave a violent spasm. His body jerked back and he had to squeeze his eyes shut in an effort to hold back tears.

"You should leave now," he forced out.

Helga flushed slightly, but stayed where she was. "I'm not going anywhere." She reached out for him, but froze as he twisted away.

"Please."

Helga felt tears prick at her eyes. Not because of his words, but because seeing Salazar, who hated showing the slightest trace of weakness, looking so vulnerable, was more painful than she would have thought possible. She knew she had two choices; she could do as he asked and leave him in peace, or she could stay and find out what was wrong. When it came down to it, it was an easy decision.

With a wave of her wand, Helga conjured a comfortable armchair opposite her friend. Salazar opened his eyes and glared at her.

"I thought I asked you to leave me alone." The fact that he was gripping his staff so hard that his knuckles had turned white did not go unnoticed.

Helga sighed and sat down. "I'm not going anywhere. Not until you have let me help you."

Salazar's silver eyes blazed. "I don't need your help!"

Helga just looked at him. Salazar clenched his teeth, though whether from pain of anger was impossible to determine. Helga suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and settled down to wait.

Salazar's mind was awhirl as he waited for her to leave. He hated appearing vulnerable, especially in font of Helga, and he wanted nothing more than for her to leave. Unfortunately, it was becoming abundantly clear that she had no intention of doing so. It was taking considerable willpower not to eject her from the classroom. And yet…

As much as he disliked the invasion of his privacy, Salazar could not deny that he was touched by her concern. He knew that Godric and Rowena cared about him, but the thought of either of them seeing him in this state was unbearable. For some reason, it wasn't so bad with Helga. Maybe it was because she was used to dealing with patients, or maybe it was because she had seen him in a much worse state in the past. Whatever it was, he was… glad she was there. He closed his eyes briefly as another spasm shot through his leg.

Helga had to restrain herself from intervening at the discomfort on her friend's face. Salazar was usually pale skinned, but now his face had taken on a distinctly grey tinge, and he was trembling in his seat. Helga felt a faint surge of irritation; he was suffering and she could help, but his pride kept getting in the way. Unfortunately, she knew Salazar well enough to know that offering help would only alienate him further.

After several minutes of silence, Salazar was no longer able to bear it.

"What do you want, Helga?"

Helga's blue eyes flickered. "I want to help you. And now I want to know why you won't let me."

Salazar scowled. "I don't need help."

Helga just stared at him. "Have you not seen yourself recently?" Salazar looked away angrily and she sighed. "Sal, it's all right to need help once in a while."

Salazar continued to glare at the floor. "But it's not," he muttered eventually. "That's the problem."

"I'm sorry?"

Salazar rubbed his eyes and glanced up. "It's not once in a while. It's all the time."

Helga frowned. "What are you talking about?"

For a moment, she thought Salazar wasn't going to reply, but then he gave another long sigh. "You always have to help me. You, Godric, Rowena… I'm always the one who needs the assistance." His gaze dropped again. "I hate it."

Helga looked dismayed. "Sal, you're talking nonsense." He opened his mouth indignantly, but she continued without pausing. "You say we always had to help you, do you remember nothing of the past few years? How many times have you got Godric out of trouble, or helped Rowena when she was having problems?" Her gaze softened. "Do you not remember saving my life the very first time we met?" She reached out to place her hand on top of his. "You have done just as much for us as we have for you."

Salazar massaged his temples. "I know. It's just…" He trailed off and ran a hand through his hair.

Helga suddenly understood. "You're embarrassed?"

Salazar froze and Helga thought was going to protest, but to her surprise he just gave a rueful smile. "Yes, I suppose I am."

Helga squeezed his hand. "You have no reason to be," she said quietly. "If anything, you're the strongest of all of us."

Salazar snorted. "Yes, I need help to climb a flight of stairs, yet I'm the strong one."

Helga rolled her eyes. "All I meant was that you've had to endure far more than we have had to." Salazar said nothing so she continued quietly. "The fact that you've managed to accomplish so much, even considering all that, is really quite remarkable."

Salazar gave a small, but genuine smile. "You exaggerate. But thank you."

"You're welcome." Her own smile disappeared as his face contorted into a pained grimace. "Salazar, will you please just let me help? None of us like seeing you like this."

Salazar held her gaze for a long moment then sighed. "That would be appreciated."

Helga didn't give him a chance to change his mind. "Thank you."

Salazar bit back a groan as she probed his leg with gentle fingers, but the look on her face told him that she was not pleased with what she was finding.

"Sal, what on Earth have you done?"

He gave a slight shrug. "It's been aching for a while. Falling on it didn't help."

Helga's expression was growing steadily grimmer. "For goodness' sake Sal, why didn't you come to me sooner?"

Salazar looked away. "I didn't want-"

"If you finish that sentence with the words 'bother you' then so help me Sal, I will hex you." When the wizard remained silent, she let out an exasperated sigh. "You're impossible. How many times will I have to tell you that I don't mind?"

"Probably a few more," he admitted.

Helga was not amused. "There's too much damage for me to repair all at once. The cold, the fall… I'm amazed you were even able to stand up."

"Several doses of Pain Relieving Potion."

She glared at him. "You know that's not good for you."

"I didn't exactly have much choice."

Helga bit back the obvious answer with an effort. "I'm going to have to put you into a healing trance while I heal the damage."

Salazar sat bolt upright. "What? Why do I need to go into a trance?"

"Will you agree to stay off it for the rest of the week if I don't?"

Salazar opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Fine." He rubbed his eyes. "I suppose I could use the rest."

"And you should have told me that you weren't sleeping well."

"I know, I know."

She patted his arm fondly and straightened up. "I'll call Godric."

Salazar looked up in alarm. "Why does Godric have to be here?"

Helga raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're not sleeping in that chair, and you're in no condition to walk."

"Then why can't I just Apparate?"

"No. Your body is under quite enough strain as it is." Her tone gentled a little. "Besides, he's your friend. Don't you want to see him?"

"Not like this!"

Helga pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sal, he's not going to care. It would hardly be the first time."

Salazar scowled. "Fine." He paused for a second. "Rowena doesn't have to come too."

Helga glared at him. "She's worried too, you know."

"What?"

"Why are you so surprised?" She shook her head. "Why do you think I came down? We've all noticed that you've not been yourself recently."

Salazar blinked. "Oh."

Helga rolled her eyes. "After all these years, did you really think we cared so little?"

Salazar looked slightly sheepish. "I may have been slightly foolish."

"Maybe a little." She hesitated a moment. "Do you mind if I call the others? They really are concerned about you."

Salazar sighed. "I suppose so." He made a half-hearted attempt to straighten his robes before giving up with a grunt. Abruptly he paused and glanced at her. "They're right outside, aren't they?"

Helga smiled at him. "I did tell you they were worried." She caught the flash of dismay on his face and quickly moved to reassure him. "I set up Silencing Charms when I came in. They haven't heard a word we've said."

Salazar held her gaze for a moment, but let it pass. "Fine. They can come in." Helga nodded approvingly and flicked her wand at the door.

Immediately, the door was thrown open and Godric stormed into the room. His eyes widened in horror at his friend's appearance.

"Hel's teeth Sal, what happened to you?"

"I was about to ask the same thing." Rowena had entered just behind him.

Salazar glanced wearily up at them. "It is nothing serious."

Helga snorted. "You can barely move, let alone walk."

Salazar scowled as both Godric and Rowena stared at him. "I was managing."

Godric glared at him. "You call this managing?"

Rowena shook her head. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Salazar's cheeks tinged pink and he looked away. Godric frowned at him, comprehension dawning in his green eyes.

"You never did like to ask for help," he whispered. "Why do you have to be so damned stubborn?"

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black," Salazar muttered.

"Don't change the subject. You should have said something."

Salazar closed his eyes for a moment. "It wasn't that simple."

"We understand," said Rowena gently. "We might not agree, but we do understand."

Godric sighed, but nodded. "I'd probably feel the same way."

Rowena raised an eyebrow. "You'd be even worse."

"I'm not sure that's possible."

Salazar felt some of the tension leave his aching body as he let the familiar banter wash over him. He hadn't realised how heavily his fear of his friends' reactions had weighed on him. While intellectually he had known that they had never considered his disability a problem, it was very pleasant to fee their genuine concern now. For the first time in weeks, he allowed himself to relax.

Helga saw the change in Salazar's face and gave a small smile. Salazar had been growing increasingly withdrawn for weeks, and she and the others really had been concerned about him. She was very relieved that it had all been straightened out; though she regretted the time it had taken. At least they didn't have to waste any more.

"Salazar, are you ready?"

Salazar's smile faded abruptly. "Are you sure this is necessary?"

Helga frowned. "We've been over this. If you don't give yourself time to rest, you'll just end up causing more damage."

"But my classes-"

"We will manage," Rowena promised.

Godric nodded in agreement. "This is more important, Sal."

Salazar gave a long sigh and glanced at Helga. "Very well." After a moment, he added quietly, "Thank you."

Godric shook his head. "You idiot. You utter idiot." He stepped forwards and gripped his friends' shoulders. "Promise you won't ever do this to us again."

Salazar looked slightly bemused, but managed a small smile. "I promise."

Rowena smiled at him. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Sal."

The wizard gave her a rueful smile. "I shall try." He took a deep breath and looked up. "How are you going to do this?"

Helga thought for a moment. "Do you have any Dreamless Sleep Potions."

"They don't work."

Rowena frowned at him. "What do you mean they don't work? You can't have taken that many." Salazar dropped his gaze and her eyes widened. "Salazar!"

Helga was furious. "Do you realise how dangerous that was?"

"Enough," said Godric sharply. He was as frustrated as the witches, but he could see the strain in his friend's face. "This is not the time."

Helga glanced at her patient and nodded. "I agree. But this discussion is not over," she warned. Salazar winced. That was one conversation he was not going to look forward to.

"What are you going to do?" asked Rowena.

Helga sighed. "I'll initiate the trance myself. That might be a better idea, come to think of it." She looked over at him. "Are you ready?"

Salazar looked rather apprehensive, but he nodded. "I am."

Godric glanced anxiously at Helga. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

Helga nodded. "I'll put him into the trance and then gradually ease the muscles over the next few days."

"A few days? Is that really necessary?"

Helga sighed. "The damage is rather extensive. If he had come to me earlier, it would not be such a problem, but as it is…" She trailed off with a pointed glance at her patient.

Salazar looked away. "I know, and I am sorry."

Godric shook his head, but the exhaustion in Salazar's eyes made him hold his tongue. "Just don't do it again."

"He won't," said Helga grimly. "I can promise you that." Salazar sighed, but didn't protest. He had no desire to start the three of them lecturing.

Rowena stepped forwards and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "Well, I shall see you in a few days."

Salazar smirked at her. "Indeed. Try not to confuse my students too much." Rowena rolled her eyes, but couldn't be too offended. She moved aside and cast a pointed look at Godric.

Godric leaned forwards and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Rest and recover," he said quietly. "We will take care of everything here."

Salazar gave him a small smile. "I know you will."

Godric gave his shoulder a brief squeeze then released him. He took a step back as Helga came forwards to place her hands on either side of Salazar's face. "Just try to relax, Sal. Everything will be better when you wake."

Salazar's silver eyes fixed on her blue ones. "Thank you."

She smiled at him. "Sleep, Salazar Slytherin. Sleep."

Salazar didn't try to fight her. His eyelids fluttered shut and he slipped into a world of dreams.

Godric jumped forwards as Salazar went suddenly boneless in the chair. Gently, he eased his unconscious friend upright again and shook his head.

"I still can't believe he didn't tell us."

Helga sighed. Now that he wasn't able to hide, it was all too easy to see the dark shadows under his eyes and the tremors that wracked his thin body.

"It's not easy for him." She glanced at Godric. "Can you take him to his room? I don't want to use any more magic on him than I have to."

Godric didn't even think about it. "Of course I will." With a gentleness surprising in one so large, he bent and gathered the sleeping wizard into his arms. There was a frown on his face when he straightened up. "He's too light. Has he been eating properly?"

Helga shook her head. "One more thing I will have to talk to him about." She gave a long sigh. "Bring him through Godric. We've got a lot of work to do."

Godric followed her carefully. "Will he be all right?"

"In time. It's rest he needs more than anything else."

Rowena nodded. "He will be fine. In your care, how could he be anything else?"

Helga smiled at her. "I appreciate the sentiment." Seeing Godric still looked miserable, she laid a hand on his arm. "I will do everything I can," she promised. "Trust me."

Godric sighed as he deposited Salazar on his bed. "I do."

Rowena caught his reluctance. "Why don't we start on a timetable to cover his classes," she suggested. "I think Helga needs some peace."

Godric nodded, but still lingered by the bed. Rowena caught Helga's pleading look and began to move towards the door. "Godric, we really do need to let her work."

Slowly, Godric followed her. At the door, he paused and glanced back. Helga met his gaze steadily, blue eyes shining with silent reassurance. Suppressing a sigh, Godric turned and followed Rowena out of the chamber.

Helga let out a long breath as her friends departed. She knew they were as anxious as she was, but she found it difficult to concentrate when surrounded by people. Now she was free to focus on her patient. Taking a deep breath, she laid a hand on her friend's leg. Even in sleep Salazar felt her touch, and her stomach clenched as he gave a low moan. Helga's resolve tightened and she summoned her magic. No matter how long it took, she was going to ensure that he was never forced to endure this much pain again. She cared for him far too much to allow that.

**I'm not completely happy with it, so please let me know what you thought.**


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